Marches and medleys to stir the soul

January 03, 2008|By Steve Siegel Special to The Morning Call -- Freelance

While the medical role is no longer appropriate for musicians who lack training, they provided general duty support in field hospitals or in general quarters in Kosovo in the 1990s. "Then at night they'd entertain the different units -- with rock bands for the Americans, for example -- for morale boosting," says Jones.

The band even facilitated the movement of troops into areas that might have offered resistance without them. "The musicians could go into a town center, as we did in Pristina in Kosovo, and give a concert to the locals," says Jones. "This gives the army the opportunity to go places they could not have otherwise, such as outlying villages. The band would come first, then the army could come along and hand out leaflets and such -- it's a bit like the Pied Piper."

During the Gulf War, Jones and the Coldstream Guards served with the cavalry in an armored reconnaissance unit. "Musicians were still being used as medics. My responsibility was the coordination of ambulance units to and from the front lines," Jones says.

Jones now has the top job in military music in the United Kingdom. His position as senior director of music makes him responsible for the musical coordination of all major royal events, from weddings to funerals. But he is also happy doing lesser tasks -- with skills as a composer and arranger, he also produces travelogue DVDs for the British tourist industry.

Jones is looking forward to visiting Bethlehem, to catch up with his friend Diggs as well as with Liberty High School Grenadier band director Greg MacGill, whose band Jones has conducted both here and when they visited the United Kingdom in 2004. He's planning a master class with the Grenadiers the morning after the Stabler show.

Steve Siegel is a freelance writer.

Go Guide Editor Jodi Duckett

jodi.duckett@mcall.com

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THE DETAILS

THE ROYAL SCOTS DRAGOON GUARDS AND THE BAND OF THE COLDSTREAM GUARDS

What: The pipes and drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Band of the Coldstream Guards perform marches, ceremonial fanfares and Celtic dancing. The Liberty High School Grenadier Band opens. The program is presented by Lehigh University, Donegal Square and the Celtic Cultural Alliance.